** BLF LT1M-Mini Project - The little Lantern! ( PM's sent today June 21, 2022)**

26650?

No offense, but I am less enthusiastic than before.

Both the LT1-team on BLF and Sofirn agreed upon a wider tube for following reasons:

  • 26650 tube width adds more stability against tip over; the size ratio of length and width is more appropriate
  • 26650 tube width adds more flexibility for battery standard sizes (21700, 18650 and 26650)
  • 26650 tube width allows to use common 3xAAA battery carriers for emergency use

Just because there are good things about 26650 lights, that doesn't mean that there aren't bad things about 26650 lights, as everyone knows.

I may just pass on this 26650 light because I hate 26650 lights with a passion.

Hmmm, my impression sofar was that the LTmini would be based on a 21700 battery, in fact a modified Sofirn IF25. Although more useful to me would be even smaller, a 18650 lantern would be ideal for me, instead it has grown to 26650 size now. That makes the size advantage over the LT1 quite a bit less, and makes me less interested too.

I believe that was the original plan.

The first day the number 26650 showed up in this thread was today.

I won’t cancel my pre-order but I agree with the Raccoon, the mini is now less desirable. 26650 is a dying breed and I don’t like to use adapter. 21700 is the future, I don’t see why we look backward. A slimmer body was the greatest part about an LT1 mini. It is now an LT1 Not-so-mini. The AAA compatibility seem great but let’s face it: I don’t think no one will ever use this feature.

EDIT: I can also see a problem (or danger ?) of someone trying to charge an LT1 mini with AAA in it…

I am not starting a rant or a war on how the LT1 mini should be, I’m trying to criticize a decision that seems strange in a civilized way, without lacking respect to all hard-working folks involved in this project.

26650 is probably going to push me off the interest list. If size and weight aren’t an issue I’ll just use one of my LT1s. For the purpose this was originally intended (backpacking) though, both size and weight are a concern. I think a 26650 light is just going to come in too big for me. 21700 size was already pushing it for my purposes. There are already times when backpacking that I drop to a single cr123a light because I don’t want to carry an 18650.

Yeah, no matter what maximum size (21700 or 26650) is chosen, I'm sure plenty of BLF members will be very happy, so I hope the project continues.

I don't know if it's too late to go back to a 21700 lantern, but that would make me the most happy.

As a reference, (I posted about it before) here is my take on a mini lantern, based on a 18650 flashlight, a Nichia E21A (2000K R9050) and an optic robbed from an old Philips led bulb. It is about as large as I would like the LTmini to be (the body is wide for an 18650 so a 21700 version of this would not be larger).

I have it in use for two years now and it is quite perfect and has great runtime for the purpose (usually it is a all-night light for my son at less than 10 lumen). It hangs or tailstands.

I love it ! This is the type of size I had in mind, perfect for backpack carrying.

People were in the groupbuy for 21700 battery. Changing the battery from one day to other to 26650 for me is a worse change.

Even if can use it with a short 21700 the thick body is still there.

The mini doesn’t look that mini.

After some studying the pictures, I assume that the length and width of the IF25 are preserved in this 26650 version? So it is not really bigger than the prototype? Still I think that 21700 battery tube size would be best.

As a (late) suggestion, perhaps the illuminating head could be downsized to make it more compact too. I know that it is tested by Den and he finds that the large surface area of the light source is good for soft illumination, but we are trying a compact LT1, if the head size is halved the “softness” will still be very ok. My lantern above has a very small surface area and it is still a pleasant illumination.

I actually like the idea of the LT1M becoming an 26650 light, given that I already have 26650s, but no 21700s.

The option to use 3×AAA cells in an adaptor for emergencies also appeals, since I have lots of AAA Eneloops. Although you can power the original LT1 from an external battery pack at reduced output, that arrangement isn’t a good plan in damp environments, so the ability to put AAAs inside the LT1M would be superior in that respect.

As Lux-Perpetua said there are a number of pros in the ability to use a 26650 battery. Do they outweigh the larger diameter? That’s of course up to the individual to decide. Better stability against tipping over was discussed at length and for me that’s an important thing. And something to consider is that Sofirn is going to be marketing the mini to people other than us. I suspect that the ability to use AAA batteries in an emergency will be a plus for many non-BLF members.

It’s too bad that 26650 batteries don’t have any more capacity than 21700’s, but that’s a subject for another conversation.

Exactly! in a pinch, a 3-AAA cell holder can run it. Having the LT1M able to use either 21700, 18650, 26650, or a 3-AAA holder even from a dollar store light in an emergency adds to its versatility. (Also being slightly wider at the base makes it more stable. :+1:

Great photos Lux! While its taller than some super compact lanterns, its still a lot smaller & lighter than the full-size LT1.

Since the head is wider than the base, a circular plate could be unscrewed from the top of the head and screwed on the bottom of the battery tube. Narrow for packing but a wide base when needed. Adds a part you can lose through.

I agree with the LT1 team, I’d much prefer a 26650 version for the extra stability and battery flexibility.

Nothing worse than having a lantern which just constantly tips over when resting on any remotely uneven surface or from the smallest of forces.

I like this change, but feel like the stability issue is just inherent to the design being a lantern head on the end of a flashlight, instead of a lantern designed from the ground up as a lantern. Maybe in a future project we could see a design without a separate body at all, with a single cell in the center of the head surrounded by the emitters? I’m picturing something like a BLF-ified Fenix CL26R. I get that there are costs and manufacturing issues and all that associated with building a new design from scratch, and I’m definitely not complaining about the LT1M, but maybe that’s an idea someone much more qualified than I am could tinker with eventually.